The Royal Automobile Club has announced it will hold an autonomous vehicle trial in October.
Held at the club’s Woodcote Park clubhouse, based in Epsom, the planned 1km (0.6 mile) route will feature city centre conditions, an open road environment and challenges such as hill starts.
The trial is set to mirror the purpose of the original Royal Automobile Club 1000-Mile Trial, which was held over 20 days in 1900 in an attempt to convince the public that the car represented the future of British motoring.
“This is all about the evolution of motoring – something the club has a proud history of supporting,” said chairman of the Royal Automobile Club, Tom Purves.
“Probably the most significant development of automotive technologies in the next decade, the introduction of driverless and autonomous vehicles, will require a combined effort and commitment from all areas of the motor industry.”
“It is in this spirit, and in line with the club’s long established commitment to pioneering motoring, that we introduce the Autonomous Vehicle Trial,” Purves added.
